Fact or Fiction: Satterfield Calling Plays, Billy Napier in Trouble, Most Toxic SEC Job

In today’s Fact or Fiction, I look at three big recent topics in college football and decide whether the statement is indeed FACT or if it’s FICTION.

1. Scott Satterfield will be the play caller for Cincinnati.

Farrell’s take: FACT

This looks like an “old buddy” hire in new OC Brad Glenn, who goes back with Satterfield to his App State days. Glenn comes in from Virginia Tech, where the Hokies wowed no one on offense, but he was the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach and will continue a similar role with the Bearcats, in my estimation. Satterfield wants to be the play caller, it seems, and there is good and bad to that. The good is that he’s in control but the bad is if the Cincinnati offense stinks it’s all on him. He has big shoes to fill.

Cincinnati Bearcats head football coach Scott Satterfield speaks during a timeout in the first half of the 90th Crosstown Shootout college basketball game between the Xavier Musketeers and the Cincinnati Bearcats, Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati.

2. Billy Napier is in trouble.

Farrell’s take: FACT

I like Napier. I think he’s a good coach. But I said it from the very start that a hire from the Sun Belt won’t get a lot of time to be good in Gainesville. I mean, Dan Mullen, who did an amazing job at Mississippi State in the SEC, didn’t get much time and went from the SEC title game to a dead man walking around eight games later. Now Napier lost QB Jaden Rashada (as he should have, as the QB’s asks were ridiculous), and DC Patrick Toney and TE coach William Peagler are off to the NFL. Are these huge losses? No. They can be replaced. But when coaches jump ship, especially Toney, who has been with Napier for years going back to Louisiana, it just adds to the mess. Maybe they see the writing on the wall despite Napier being there for one year, a 6-7 season that concluded with a horrible loss to Vanderbilt, a rivalry loss to Florida State, and a drubbing by Oregon State in the Vegas Bowl. Or maybe they just want to get out of the NIL mess that is college football and head to the calmer waters of the NFL. No matter, the narrative continues that Napier is over his head and Gators fans and boosters are already tired of him.

Sep 24, 2022; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier argues with an official during the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium.

3. The Florida job is the most toxic in the SEC.

Farrell’s take: FICTION

But it’s close, and I’ll explain why. But the answer here is Auburn, as we saw Gus Malzahn welcomed and shunned by boosters sometimes within the scope of a few games. And it was over and over again until they finally got rid of him. Then some big coaches turned down the Auburn job, and they settled for Bryan Harsin. Then, they not only tried to run him out of town after a season but also ruin his life. Hugh Freeze is up next and it will either crash and burn fast or go well until they tire of him as well. Things in Gainesville aren’t a ton better as coaches have been run out (Will Muschamp), folded under the fan and booster pressure (Jim McElwain), or simply gave up and accepted their fate (Dan Mullen). Napier had to explain a lack of recruiting success just months into his job, and the high of a season-opening win over Utah has been replaced by a long off-season of scrutiny. He likely won’t get the Harsin treatment, but if he doesn’t win and win early next season, there will be rumblings to move on. And that’s just not a healthy dynamic for Florida.